Science and Technology -
The Conference Series

To build and strengthen its relationship with the broader science community in support of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) invites the international scientific community to conferences on a regular basis.

These multidisciplinary scientific conferences attract scientists and experts from the broad range of the CTBT's verification technologies, from national agencies involved in the CTBTO's work to independent academic and research institutions. Members of the diplomatic community, international media and civil society also take an active interest.

2015: CTBT Science and Technology

The CTBT: Science and Technology 2015 Conference (SnT2015) took place from 22 to 26 June 2015 at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Austria. It was the fifth in a series of multidisciplinary conferences designed to further enhance the strong relationship between the scientific and technological community and the CTBTO. See website story on the opening day and summary.

2013: CTBT Science and Technology

The latest gathering, the Science and Technology 2013 (SnT2013) conference, took place from 17 to 21 June 2013. Scientists made over 80 oral presentations and over 250 poster presentations (see programme) at the conference to more than 750 conference participants. Speakers included Hans Blix, former Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency; Siegfried Hecker, former director of the Los Alamos National Laboratory; Michel Miraillet, Director, French Ministry of Defence and Ellen Tauscher, former U.S. Under Secretary of State.

2011: CTBT Science & Technology

In what CTBTO Executive Secretary Tibor Tóth described as "a scientific pilgrimage to Vienna", 500 scientists participated in the Science & Technology Conference (S&T2011) from 8 to 10 June 2011. Two renowned scientists gave keynote speeches: U.S. physicist Richard Garwin and Canadian geophysicist David Strangway. The CTBTO's role and contributions during the March 2011 Fukushima disaster played a prominent role in the conference's 350 scientific presentations and posters.

2009: International Scientific Studies

The second conference under the title "International Scientific Studies Conference (ISS09)" from 10 to 12 June 2009 gathered around 450 scientists from 86 countries to assess the CTBT's capability and readiness to detect nuclear explosions anywhere on the planet. The second nuclear test conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea only weeks before provided ample topics for discussion.

2006: Synergies with Science

Already the CTBTO's first major scientific conference titled "Synergies with Science, 1996-2006 and Beyond" from 31 August to 1 September 2006 attracted several hundred participants, among them scientists from internationally renowned universities and scientific institutions, representatives of diplomatic missions and members of the press.